Starter for internal-combustion engines



H. C. ERBE. STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI. I919.

Patented Feb. 24,1920.

2 $HEETSSHEET I.

fi-w/y C frbe BY MS ATTOEAf/J H. C. ERBE.

STARIIER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED MAY I, 1919.

1,331,631. Patented Feb.24,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY C. ERBE, OF JAVA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Application filed May 1, 1919. Serial No. 294,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. ERBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Java, in the county of Walworth and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starters for Internal Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

My present invention has for its object to provide a highly efficient mechanical starter for internal combustion engines; and, to this end, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the'claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters inclicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:+

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View, partly in plan and partly in section, of an automobile, with some parts illustrated by means of broken lines, having the invention incorporated therein:

Fig. 2 is a detail view with some parts sec tioned on the line 22 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the part shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view partly in front elevation and. partly in vertical section taken on the line 4:4: of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

The invention is shown applied to an automobile of the Ford type and of the parts thereof, it is important to note the frame 5, floor 6, toe-board 7, dash 8, internal combustion engine 9, indicated as an entirety with the exception of its crankshaft 10 to which is secured a fan drive pulley 11 and starter ratchet pin 12, starter ratchet 13, starter clutch releasing spring 14, clip plate 15, and

radiator 16.

To mechanically start the engine 9. I provide a spring motor 17 carried by a shaft 18 intermediately journaled in a bearing 19 on the clip plate 15, in axial alinement with the crank shaft 10. This motor 17, as shown, comprises a spring 20, encircling the shaft 18, a large disk 21 keyed to said shaft and having at its periphery a laterally and inwardly projecting annular flange within which said spring is mounted, and a large spur g 22 l y joi rn l said shaft inward of the spring 20. Obviously, the disk 21 and its flange, together with the gear 22, afford a housing for the spring 20.

The inner end of the spring 20 is anchored by a pin 23 to the gear 22 and its outer end is also anchored by a pin 24 to the disk 21. The gear 22 is held against axial movement on the starter shaft 18 by the hub of the disk 21 and a set screw-equipped collar 25 on said shaft. On the inner end of the starter shaft 18, is secured the starter ratchet 13 and the outer end 'of'said shaft is made angular in cross'section, at 26, to receive and hold a hand crank 27, as will presently appear. The spring 14 is compressed between the bearing 19 and collar 25 and yieldingly holds the starter ratchet 13 out of engagement with the starter pin 12.

To wind the spring 20 which, as shown, is in the form of a clo k spring, but, of course, may takeany desired form, there is provided a spur pinion 28 which meshes with the gear 22. This pinion 28 is provided with a wide face to permit the required sliding movement of the gear 22 thereon, during the movement of the starter ratchet 13 into and out of interlocking engagement with the tends into an aperture 33 in the dash 8. and

into said aperture, the hub end of the crank 27 mav be inserted for connecting the same to'the shaft 29.

To hold the crank shaft 10 of the engine against rotation, in a direction to start the engine. when winding the spring. also after said spring is wound. there is formed on the back of the fan pnllev 11 a ratchet wheel 34-.

and cooperating with said ratchet is a gravitv held pawl 35. As shown, the pawl 35 is rigidlv secured to the forward end of an operatinn rod 36 and proiects radiallv there from. The forward end of the rod 36 is journaled in a hearing 37 secured to the support for'the engine 9, and its rear end portion is journaled in a bearing 38 on the under side of the floor 6. At its rear end the rod 36 is bent laterally to afford a foot crank or arm 39 which projects upwardly through a slot 40 in the floor 6. A suitable guard, not shown, should in actual-practice be provided to prevent the arm 39 from be ing' 12-o1i the stippe rt for the engine 9, and

its'fork'ed'en'd isconnected with the starter shaft 18* by shipper-collar l3. An-operah in? rod 44isattached to the other endof the shipper lever 41 and extends rearward throag'ha gtiidesieeve 45 in the dash 8, and is provided with hand piece 46, Pivotally mounted on the shaft 29 is aspri'ng pressed pawl'tttarrah ged to e gage the teeth of the ear"aaahtrtherehy holds sai'd ge'aragainst ba'kfifh id ifib vhiiit under the action of the spring-"2'0. A suitahie hotisinges is ro V iad $0 1" the improved StiLI'tGl" and is" Socured to the frame 5;

To set the motor 17, the operating rod isfirstniov'ed endwise, by its hand piece 46toii'7ard the 8, to swing 'the'shi per lveral and fthereby impart a rearward en'dwi-se' movement of the starter shaft 18' against the tension of th s rin i ito interloek the starter ratchet 13 with the starter 5in 1'2. Jest bereft, of jiist after the opetator'conneets the starter shaft 18 to the rank shaft 10-, he operates the arm 39 with his foot to more the'pawl '35 into engagex'vith the rat het wheel 3% and thereby hold s liid crank 'shaitt' against rotation in a direction start the engine.

Withthestarter shaft 18 oonnectedto the drank shaft 10, the hand crank '27, when a ppltea to the shaft 29, is 'tumed' toward th right to windthe SpriiiQEZOQ when the springer) is'paitly wound, th'e'tei'ision there of, the starter shaft 18, which is in a "direction to rotate" the-crank shat'tlo and the engine, "frictiohally holds the starter "ratchet 13in engagement ith the ratchet 12 and thereby preveiftssai'dratchet being drawn out of engagement with thestarjtet pin 1 2 Under the -actiqn of 'tlje'springi ti At't-his time "the crank shaft 10' held against rot tion in a 'clirect'ion we start the engine bv the pawl 35;

With rattr'liet' 1s frititionall'y 'helfd interlocked with the starter in 12, the o 'er'atdr' let'flio of the lianLd piece efilffor' he that the spring: 14 has not suffi'ti fit t e'nsien to withdraw the starter tattl tet is "out p? em ragment the starter pin 12-. and cdntinifeto eperatathe hand trail]: :27 to wtnd 'thespring' 20; The

pitwlai of cbiirse-liolttls the: gear against ra chet" crank shaft'10;' With the crank shaft 10' I released, the spring 20 becomes active and rotates said crankshaft a sufliient' number of times, through the starter shaft 18 and its several'connections, to start the eng ine. As soon as theeng'ine is startcd'the speed of the crank shaft 10 will, thiough' the starter pin 12, cam the starter ratchet 13 out of engagement-therewith and returnthe starter shaft 18' and operating-rod 44 to normal positions with the assistance of the spring 14. r If desired, the engine" may be started by hand in the customary manner by removing the hand crank 27 from the shaft29 and applying: the same" to the shaft 18; While the improved starter is shown applied to "a Ford automobile, the same may of course be applied to machines" ofvariotis different makes and desig s.-

In case the engine back-fires, when cranking the same, the improved starter cannot turn the crankbacl'zwaifl, owing-to, the constrnction thereof, and possibly injiire'the operator, as is often the case;

What I claim is-c 1'. In an internal oombustion engine; a

starter mechanisrn comprising a spring 1 motor, means for temporarily connecting said motor to the 'crank shaft oi the engine while'windinq sai'd' motor, positive means for holding the crank shaft of the engine against the action of said motor in which it operates on said crankshaft to start the engine and for releasiiia sai d crank-shaft,

and connections for wind-ins? saidinotor inshading means $01 lioldin g'ith'e same against backward movement.

3. In an internal combnstion en in e. a starter. mechanism comprising-1a 'sb'att, a ratchet for connect-inq'the starter shaft to thecramk shaft o'f th'e enn'ii ie. a spring under strain to release the'start'er sharttirom the crank *shatt. aspr'inrr motor for rotatingthe starter shaft in a direct on to start the engine, means for h'oldinq the crank shaft againstthe action of the motor in which it operates to start 1theengineand release the same, connections zfor the motor including means for holding the same againstrbackward movement, and connections for moving the starter shaft into a position to connect the ratchet to the crank shaft against the tension of said spring.

In an internal combustion engine, a starter mechanism comprising a shaft, a

ratchet for connecting the starter shaft to the crank shaft of the engine, a spring undcr strain to move the starter shaft into a position to release the ratchet from the crank shaft, a gear loosely journaled on the starter shaft, a propelling spring anchored to the starter shaft and to said gear, connections for rotating said gear to wind the propelling spring, a pawl operative on the gear to prevent backward movement thereof, a pawl and ratchet for holding the crank shaft against the action of the propelling spring in which it operates to start the engine, connections for moving the starter shaft into a position to connect the ratchet to the crank shaft, and connections for releasing said pawl and ratchet to start the motor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. ERBE.

lVitnesses G. F. SPIRY, ANTON WEISGRAM. 

